Changes to e-Prescribing Regulations are on the Horizon

Everyone understands the value of going paperless, but many have yet to follow this path for prescriptions.

See what the new regulations are regarding e-prescribing and how this can affect your business.

Until 2010, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) required that prescriptions for controlled substances be written on paper. When the DEA established the Electronic Prescriptions for Controlled Substances (EPCS) rule in March of 2010, practitioners suddenly had the option to prescribe controlled substances electronically rather than on paper, and pharmacists had the option to accept, dispense, and archive EPCS.

Starting March 27, 2016, however, new regulations in the state of New York will require that practitioners submit all prescriptions electronically, for both controlled and non-controlled substances, so paper prescriptions will no longer be an option for this state. Curious why this matters to you, if your home care business is not located in New York?

Regulation authorities suspect that other states may follow New York’s e-prescribing mandate, which will mean that your state could soon adopt similar legislation. In some states, this will be a significant change because, according to a report from The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, only 57% of new and renewal prescriptions were sent electronically in 2013.

In preparation for this change, providers need to assess what processes need to change to ensure compliance. In addition, providers need to ensure that their software systems are ready for the March deadline and that they have been audited and/or DEA-certified for controlled substances, if applicable.

As senior vice president of client experience, John Hutchinson is responsible for defining, developing, and executing strategic plans to achieve a superior client experience. With more than 15 years of health care experience, John has a proven track record of leading teams with a focus on delighting clients and optimizing their success. Prior to WellSky, John served as vice president of the clinical and technology strategic business unit at Cerner where he was responsible for developing an organization mindset and operating rhythm that balanced solution expertise with a client-centric relationship model. John’s experience also includes various financial and operational roles at Sprint. John earned his MBA and bachelor’s from the University of Kansas.

Amy ShellhartSenior Vice President, Operations

As senior vice president of operations, Amy Shellhart enforces a clear mission and framework to WellSky’s innovation efforts. Drawing on 25 years of healthcare industry experience, Amy is responsible for optimizing the effectiveness of the engineering and innovation teams in our ongoing efforts to improve client experience. Prior to WellSky, Amy served as vice president of product management at Change Healthcare. Amy’s experience also includes leading the charge in establishing the MassineBoecker, Inc. population health management footprint in the U.S. and 15 years at Healthways providing strategic direction and operational insight before transitioning to vice president of product development and management. Amy earned her MBA and bachelor’s degree from Southwest Baptist University.

Steve MorganChief Operating Officer

Steve Morgan serves as chief operating officer for Mediware and is responsible for setting direction and executing against the company’s strategic objectives and priorities. With 16 years of industry experience, a passion for company culture, and an emphasis on the client experience, Steve leads Mediware’s diverse teams focused on optimizing client workflows, efficiencies, and outcomes. Prior to joining Mediware in June 2018, Steve served as COO for OptumInsight, a division of Optum, which is the health services platform of UnitedHealth Group. Steve was broadly responsible for the company’s annual operating plan with a focus on employee engagement, client management, growth, and innovation. He was fundamental to the growth and strategic scalability of OptumInsight on an organic basis and through the completion of several critical acquisitions that were integrated into the company. Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration from the University of Kansas.

Bill MillerChief Executive Officer

Bill Miller is the CEO of Mediware and a recognized leader in the healthcare industry. He has a rich background that includes a more than 20 year history of bringing groundbreaking growth strategies and technological innovation to the healthcare marketplace and a proven track record of launching and leading highly successful healthcare IT companies. Prior to joining Mediware in July 2017, Bill was the CEO of OptumInsight, a division of Optum, which is the health services platform of UnitedHealth Group. Under Bill’s leadership, OptumInsight experienced unprecedented revenue growth, expanded margins, and claimed a transformative position in the health services market. He led the evolution of Optum into the leader in health care analytics and launched several tech-enabled business platforms. Prior to OptumInsight, Bill served as senior vice president of technologies at Cerner Corporation, where he had global responsibility for the company’s managed services, outsourcing, and technology services business units. A graduate of the University of Kansas, Bill holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in urban planning and public policy.

Chris HesterPresident, Home Care

Chris Hester founded Kinnser Software in 2003, when he developed an innovative web-based application for home health agencies. He served as the company’s president for 14 years of rapid growth, which saw Kinnser become the most widely used EMR in home health and expand into new markets, including hospice and private duty home care. Kinnser Software was acquired by Mediware in June 2017. Today, Chris serves as president of Mediware’s home care division, which includes applications for home care, home health, and rehabilitation.

Rob WeberPresident, Community Care

Rob Weber serves as president of Mediware’s diverse community care division, overseeing applications for behavioral health, homeless management, long-term services and supports, medication management, and blood management. Rob has held this position since 2017, and he previously also managed many of Mediware’s other clinical applications, including blood services and medication management. Rob joined Mediware in January 2004, originally serving as executive vice president and general counsel, and he continues to serve as the company’s general counsel for legal and regulatory matters.

Robert WatkinsChief Financial Officer

Robert “Bob” Watkins started at Mediware as corporate controller in 2008. In 2011, he was promoted to vice president and corporate controller and to CFO in 2012. Prior to joining Mediware, Bob held a number of financial management positions, including serving as corporate controller for Titan Machinery (TITN), a $1 billion provider of agricultural and construction equipment. His prior experience also includes a corporate controller position at AFS Financial, where he also served as chief financial officer. Bob is a current member of the AICPA and Financial Executives International.

Joel DolisyChief Technology Officer

In his role as chief technology officer, Joel Dolisy manages both product development and information technology for Mediware. Before joining Mediware as CTO, Joel was CTO of Kinnser Software, where he led the company’s engineering and product organizations. Before Kinnser, Joel was SVP, CTO, and CIO for SolarWinds, a leading provider of IT management software. With more than 20 years of experience in product strategy and software engineering, Joel is a leader in developing and delivering commercial software products to market.

Chris StansburyExecutive Vice President, Growth

As executive vice president of growth, Chris Stansbury works with all sales teams within Mediware to create and standardize best practices for selling, interacting, contracting, and negotiating with clients. With over 25 years of health care IT services sales leadership, Chris has experience in all aspects of health care, including the provider side when he was at Cerner, the payer side when he was at TriZetto, and the Wellness side as he most recently was a vice president at Welltok.

Shoma Sarkar ThomasChief Marketing Officer

As chief marketing officer, Shoma Sarkar Thomas oversees the marketing strategy for all WellSky products and is responsible for building the WellSky brand, which includes public relations, communications, and all strategic marketing activities. Previously, Shoma served as vice president of marketing for Kinnser Software, where she led marketing and strategic growth initiatives. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and international relations from the University of Virginia.

Stephen GreenbergSVP of Human and Social Services

Stephen (Steve) Greenberg is responsible for Mediware’s Homeless & Community, Behavioral Health and LTSS businesses. Prior to joining Mediware, Steve was President of DecisionHealth, LLC for six years, after which time he successfully helped execute the sale of this revenue cycle management decision-support company. Before that, he worked at OptumInsight for 12 years as a senior leader of many of its provider software and service solutions and, in his last role as SVP, Government Solutions, built a prospective and retrospective fraud, waste and abuse detection capability for UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare and Medicaid businesses.

Dana StreckSenior Vice President, Human Capital

Dana Streck leads Mediware’s human capital organization. Before joining Mediware, Dana was senior director of workforce transitions for Cerner Corporation, where she welcomed and transitioned new team members into Cerner through client partnerships and acquisitions. With more than 15 years of experience in human resources, Dana has successfully partnered with business leaders to drive workforce initiatives that benefit both companies and clients, while simultaneously creating environments that support growth and innovation.

Jason BakerVP, Corporate Development

As vice president of corporate development for Mediware, Jason Baker is responsible for acquisitions, partnerships, and new market strategies. Prior to joining Mediware, he was a managing director for Alpine Healthcare Advisors and Healthcare Growth Partners, both of which provide investment banking services in healthcare technology and services. Jason also served as head corporate development executive for Cerner Corporation. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Missouri.

Wes LittleVice President, Applied Insights

As vice president of analytics, Wes Little leads Mediware’s unified analytics strategy to deliver data-driven insights and innovative solutions. He previously served as director of product management for Kinnser Software, where he oversaw rapid product innovation for the company’s home health electronic medical record software. Wes holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Washington and Lee University.